By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The effort to put bike lanes in Bowling Green hit another bump in the road Tuesday evening. This bump came in the form of memo from the city suggesting that any bike lane initiatives be addressed by the Council Committee of the Whole.
“This may slow things down,” said Council member Sandy Rowland during the Complete Streets meeting. “I’ve talked to people who are sick and tired of just talking and want to get things done.”
Last month, the three-member Transportation Safety Committee (John Zanfardino, Daniel Gordon and Rowland) discussed plans for bike lanes on Conneaut and Fairview avenues. The decision was rushed due to time constraints for the bidding and funding process.
This week, the memo, signed by Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter, suggested that the process should include all council members in the discussion. She pointed out that the city’s road paving schedule should drive the timeline of any bike lanes or other “complete street” modifications.
But Rowland noted that schedule could delay the six streets selected for bike lanes – and could result in the last street – Clough – not being made bicycle-friendly for 20 years.
Zanfardino was disappointed that the memo seemed to imply the city would only consider bike lanes on six streets. “There were 20 streets at first that were earnestly being considered,” he said. But in an effort to set a reasonable goal, the efforts were narrowed to six streets – Fairview, Conneaut, Court, Pearl, Maple and Clough.
So Zanfardino suggested that as the city looks at which streets to pave each year, that bike lanes be discussed for all of them. “If not, I think we really are more than slowing it down,” he said. “We don’t need to be hasty, but we need to earnestly move ahead.”
Rowland agreed. “Every street that’s repaved should be a Complete Street,” she said.
Gordon said the planning consultants working with the city noted the lack of biking accommodations in the community. “The first thing they noticed was a lack of bike lanes,” he said. And that puts Bowling Green at a disadvantage to attract people to the community, he added.
The extra layer expected to further delay any bike options in the city was met with dismay by some cyclists in the audience.
“I’m disgusted,” said Frank McLaughlin. “If we wanted to do nothing in the city, this is a great way to get nothing done.”
For a city that prides itself on being progressive, there has been little movement toward bicycle accommodations over years of discussion, he said.
“There’s been no real commitment by the council or by the city to get things done,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said he could empathize with residents along Conneaut and Fairview avenues, who don’t want to lose on-street parking or portions of their front yards. But he added to council members, “I’m not sure you’re going to get this done without upsetting some and spending some money.”
“We need to get something going,” even if it’s piecemeal, McLaughlin said.
John Wasinski said other communities are somehow able to create Complete Streets. “Where they are getting their funds, I don’t know,” he said. But “just painting stripes and calling it done” is not good enough.
As a resident of Court Street, Wasinski said loss of on-street parking may not be popular, but there are possible solutions using surface parking owned by some of the biggest landlords in the city.
“The real solution in that block is cooperation,” but it may take the city’s and university’s push to make it happen.
But some city residents at the meeting were more concerned about losing their on-street parking. One woman submitted signatures of residents of Conneaut Avenue upset with any plan that would ban street parking to allow for a bike lane.
“It’s one block, but it greatly affects the people who live there,” she said, suggesting that bicyclists use sidewalks instead.
City resident Jennifer Karches suggested that rather than removing parking, the city consider making streets one-way in order to accommodate bikes.
In an effort to show the complexity of adding bike lanes, City Engineer Jason Sisco reported on the costs of making East Court Street bike-friendly. The cost to resurface the street and add bike lanes was estimated at $125,100. But additional work like fixing curbs and driveway approaches, replacing sidewalks, removing large trees, relocating a retaining wall and fence all added up to $75,000 to $90,000.
“This is a good example of what we run into,” Sisco said.
Sisco also recommended that the city not sink money into East Court Street now since the Community Action Planning process is looking at that street as a major project. And Bowling Green State University’s plans to demolish the administration building and make that the western entrance to campus may bring about several changes.
In order to assess the bike-abilty of the city, a group called Yay Bikes has ridden much of the community with city officials. Two more rides are planned next week, to be followed by an informative discussion on Monday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m., at city council chambers.
The Bicycle Safety Commission has also set its goal for next year on education for bicyclists and motorists, according to Kristin Otley. “We can design whatever we want” but if people aren’t following the rules, it’s all for naught, she said.
That group meets on the third Tuesdays of each month at 6 p.m., in council chambers.
